


A Night Eternal

by alchemicalTyphoon



Series: Do Arcana Dream Of Esoteric Sheep? [2]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Everyone's A Hero In Their Own Story, Existential Angst, Existential Crisis, Feels, Just Doing My Job, Nonbinary Character, Not As Big A Jerk As He Seems, Other, Passage of time, Porn With Plot, it's nothing personal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23651128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicalTyphoon/pseuds/alchemicalTyphoon
Summary: Everybody is a hero in their own story. Just because they call you 'the Devil' doesn't mean you're evil. -The events in Asra's route, as experienced by the Devil.Sequel-ish to 'Counting Down The Night', but can stand on its own.
Relationships: The Fool (The Arcana)/The Devil (The Arcana)
Series: Do Arcana Dream Of Esoteric Sheep? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704004
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	A Night Eternal

**Author's Note:**

> Yes hi hello! Have some Devil/Fool plot stuff with some thirst to blatantly lure you in 😅👍. 
> 
> It's a loose sequel to [Counting Down The Night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263891), but it stands up on it's own. 
> 
> Inspired by [Sounddrive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sounddrive)'s Apprentice/Fool series, without which I wouldn't have thought about using the Fool as a character.

He ran his claws through their long hair, each strand reflecting the candle lights as it fell. Coupled with the almost sinfully decadent sensory pleasure the silky strands evoked as they cascaded between his splayed hand, the Devil could have been content spending eternity like this. He sighed. It really didn't matter what form they took; it always fit them. But he couldn't deny that as time went by and their form stayed the same, his concern over this situation grew.

As if they could feel him worry, they opened their eyes, smiling sleepily at him, beckoning him to come closer. He instead pulled them closer to him, effortlessly hoisting them on top of him. His cock grazed them, and with a grin of mischief, they wriggled his shaft inside them, a light blush dusting their cheeks. As he made slow rocking motions into them, they massaged his cock by clenching around him in time with this thrusts, looking at him in a way only a love struck Fool would. He reached up to them, contorting his body so he could take their mouth as he groaned and spilled, hearing them come apart on his cock as well.

As they slowly winded down, his cock sliding out of them, wet with come and slick, the Devil noted how this semi-mortal form their body had taken was starting to set in. Their expressions mirrored more and more the mortal soul their vessel was made to host with every passing night he could visit them. They noticed his scrutiny, and looked at him quizzically, reaching out with both hands to raise themself up. Once their face was at the same height as his, they cupped his face, kissing him like it was their first time. And in a way, it always was a first for them.

"What are you looking so concerned for?", they grinned, working their fingers through his luscious beard to scratch his neck just the way he liked it. He rumbled in appreciation, but kept his eyes on them through a lazy squint. His arms tightened their grip on them a little as he idly drew circles on their back, before reaching for their face. A white-furred knuckle brushed against the corner of their lips, and he watched their shy grin. "That mortal is settling into you", he said with quiet concern. They smiled brightly, gently butting their forehead against his. "It's only temporary, until the other one is called back to the Cycle. That was the agreement!"

And in any other circumstance, the Devil would've just waited it out. After all, they were Arcana; immortal. Humans? Humans were decidedly... _not_. But _this_ particular human... The boy who made the deal might spell trouble. He sighed, weary. "I have that one's parents in custody. In exchange for a vow of protection over him." They stilled, mulling over his words. His words hit them, but not in a way he expected.

He'd expected concern, but they surprised him with laughter. "Well, _that's_ certainly new! Paint me excited! I'm looking forward to see how this will play out! How this might affect everything!" Their optimism was endearing, and the Devil let himself be vulnerable for a moment, enjoying their chatter about experiencing new things.

But as they talked, his mind went down a different track. Had his parents' protection not been in place, none of this would have happened. He was already unable to take his own life, as this was how their current predicament started. The Devil wondered... What if his vow of protection _extended_ that boy's lifespan? Would his protection mean he'd be compelled to keep the boy out of the Cycle of Souls? Had he unknowingly doomed his dearest Fool to serve as a mere _vessel_ for eternity?

The Fool eventually focused back in their present, their excitement faltering when they noticed his expression. He felt their hands stroking his face as they placed gentle kisses on his face. "What's wrong?", they asked with concern. He blinked, sitting them both up with them in his lap. "Just... wondering what lengths I'm obliged to fulfill my end of the bargain", he sighed. They giggled, peppering his face with sweet kisses and light caresses. "You worry too much!", they shushed, leaning against his chest. "There's no need to think too hard on that. We are eternal; we'll cross that bridge when we get there! Think of it as an exciting adventure!" He sighed, snuggling into their neck, burying himself in their laughter.

They eventually stopped laughing, extracting him from their neck. Their hands cupped his face once more as they looked lovingly at him. "You're clever. I have no doubt you'll find a solution. We'll play our parts, and eventually I'll be back here, in my own skin", they said gently. He grumbled, but agreed; they'd cross that bridge when they were there.

Besides...

With a knowing smirk, he lifted them back on his hard cock, reveling in how perfectly he slipped into them, with just the right amount of resistance. His Fool slowly smiled, grinding down as they did. "It's still a while before you need to leave...", he rumbled, rocking slowly up with his hips. "How about we set that matter aside by making the most of it until then, hmm?"

\---

_That infuriating little welp!  
_

The two of them hacked away at the magic separating them, one furious, the other desperate. It was supposed to be their night, but when they didn't appear in his realm, he grew concerned and left to retrieve them... Only to find them inside the magician's gate of the mortal they were hosting, trapped under an invisible barrier. He'd been relieved to see them at first, but now he was just livid.

"I don't understand!", his Fool cried, wiping away tears as they summoned their rapidly dwindling powers. "How? When did they take my powers? They shouldn't be able to do this!"

The magic of the barrier positively _reeked_ of that welp's, but it was woven tightly with Arcana powers; his Fool's powers. On the other side, his dearest Fool was, for once, unable to break through the barrier. His own magic was strong, but this was not his realm; similiar to visitors of his realm adhering to certain rules, so too was he bound by the rules of this gate. And this gate apparently stipulated he wasn't allowed to reach them, no matter what. Powerless, the Devil nonetheless continued his magical assault against the barrier, the Fool crying on the other side, just out of reach.

Each night, he'd visit the gate, the distance he could travel to his beloved becoming shorter, separating the two further and further apart. He tried to console them, but with each passing night and subsequent distance added, his once cheerful Fool seemed to lose themself just a little more, growing paler and more sickly. The last night he saw them, they merely stood there in the distance, crying in helpless silence until they faded back to the mortal realm.

The following night, nobody appeared. He called out to them, but there was no response; his Fool was gone.

\---

The news was certainly disconcerting to all. It wasn't as if humans hadn't overpowered their patrons before, leeching away at them until the Arcana in question was a mere husk of their former self; he'd orchestrated a couple of these cases himself. But a _complete_ disappearance?... _That_ was unprecedented.

Scout was understandably in severe distress, telling them they hadn't been able to feel the Fool since the night they stopped showing up at the gate. And if anyone was surprised by his insistence something be done about it, they wisely kept it to themselves. But they were leery about interfering; it would resolve itself eventually, like things always did when it came to mortal affairs, they reasoned.

The Devil had always prided himself with his patience, especially when it came to matters of the mortal realm. But when it came to the Fool...

Forging the alliances needed to set his plans in motion was easy enough. He knew what he could use to bargain with the other Arcana; those who proved less than receptive had proteges. _Mortal_ proteges, who were, more often than not, easily enticed into compliance once given a taste of power, and the illusion of making the world better for wielding it. The only thing that eluded him was the ability to keep his true intentions from the Magician or the High Priestess.

"It's the Fool, isn't it?", the Magician had smirked when he visited their realm. It was clear where that welp had cultivated his ability to get under his skin. The fox had chuckled at his silence, but otherwise left him his dignity by not going further down that line. "I have to refuse to go along with your plans on principle", they said solemnly, while wearing a shit-eating grin. "But... I'll see where I can aid in getting one of ours back", they'd added with a wink, before unceremoniously shooing him out of his realm.

His visit with the High Priestess was mercifully civil and polite, if fruitless. She too declined to help him in an overt manner, but did throw him a boon in the form of some cryptic words. " _Not every loss is a defeat"_. A warning, he determined, and unlike a fool, one he would keep in mind.

\---

And then he was fighting them.

He played his role as the villain, making them feel as if they were in imminent danger even though that was never the case. After all, how could he strike the face his dearest had last worn, whose body he knew even more intimately than that audacious welp? When they turned his own chains against him as intended, he belted his rehearsed speech with as much drama as he could, hoping his Fool was still able to hear him somehow.

He let himself be encapsulated in marble, courtesy of his own magic. The High Priestess' words rang through his mind. ' _Not every loss is a defeat_ '. Indeed, he thought, looking at his 'enemies'. He lost, and would be unable to fulfill his end of many deals, meaning the bargains struck were broken. Including the ones with the boy's parents, ensuring the his eventual return to the Cycle was now secured.

And with Scout's return later, patting his knee, he knew he'd be protected. Patience was all he needed now; once his Fool was released, they would undo these chains. For now, he had done his part. Waiting while trapped as a marble statue for the next few decades sounded boring, so he let himself indulge in a spot of slumber, something he hadn't done since mortals became so abundant.

\---

He'd wake up several times during his self-inflicted imprisonment, always to the face his Fool had been wearing. They were a little bewildered every time they were with him, but they were polite, and oddly amusing in how they spend their dreaming time tidying up the place little by little. After some visits, his realm even looked adequate to his own standards.

But they would still appear from time to time, even after the place had become spotless and repaired. It was probably boredom that had them talking to him, keeping him abreast on things that were happening in their insignificant life. And as they kept visiting, they moved to wondering out loud about the little and the big questions plaguing any mortal existence at some point.

Lately, the questions meandered mainly around what came after death.

"Mister Devil, sir, I keep coming back here from time to time, and I never understood why", they said. "But a few nights ago, I had a strange dream. In it, I was running away from you, but when you caught up to me, we uhm..."

_Ah_... Now there was a fond memory...

Their embarrassment was palpable even in his inert state, and they were silent for so long, he had almost drifted back in slumber. "A-anyway! The Fool wanted me to pass you a message. ' _Time means nothing when you're eternal'_." They fidgeted with the hem their clothes. "You'll see them soon, I think. I have a feeling this is the last time I'll be here. I just want you to know I'm really sorry for the troubles we caused, and that I'm grateful for the peaceful time you gave us."

It had always been the souls he recognised when it came to mortals, never the flesh itself. But the Devil _looked_ at them this time, noting they seemed smaller than they used to be. Their eyes were still full of mischief, but their face had become wrinkled, framed with silver-gray hair that he once remembered to be the rich, dark colour of decadent chocolate.

Letting his powers flow briefly, he conjured up a coin, startling the mortal when it clattered down the marble. They bend down with some difficulty to pick them up. "Not as spry as I used to be...", they huffed quietly. "Now what's this?..." They murmured as they read the text, their eyebrows rising up and up.

Perhaps his imprisonment and loneliness had made him a touch soft. He had never really thought about mortals beyond the deals and bargains he made with them. The Devil reasoned that this was just another bargain; a little tit-for-tat, a little insight on the Cycle of Souls, for all those visits to break up the monotony of his slumber.

The coin vanished once they read the inscription. They shuffled to him, patting his arm. "Thank you. For this, and for listening to my silly worries. I hope you two will be as happy as we are. Give them my regards!"

When they waved at him and vanished from his realm for the last time, he felt a sense of bittersweet closure. He was sure he'd meet them all again; they just wouldn't remember.

\---

The next time the Devil woke, he was on his back. Someone was stroking his face in a gentle, soothing manner, humming a familiar tune. "That is an old one", he rumbled, his voice hoarse and gravelly from disuse. As he yawned, two strong arms engulfed him, and he felt the familiar pressure of a face burying themself in his neck as they clambered on top of him. His arms automatically reached to embrace them and pull them closer to him. "Welcome back", he sighed, contentment flooding him as he was able to feel them properly once more, nuzzling their form, and inhaling their scent of boundless optimism and new possibilities.

"I've missed you dearly, my love."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I slowed down a little with posting but that doesn't mean I'm not writing anything. Life's just a bit hectic at the moment I fear 😫. And every story I've written is in that "something is still missing but I don't know what aaaaaah!!!!! ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)!!!" stage right now. 
> 
> As always, come yell at or with me! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ I crave the interactions! I have a [tumblr](https://vesuviasfastestcourier.tumblr.com/) too yanno! 
> 
> Special yells to those of you who come on over all the time :'3!  
> And in particular [Sounddrive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sounddrive), without whom these last two stories wouldn't even have existed in the first place (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧!  
> And [thraxbaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby), I see you often in the kudos breh :3c!  
> And [mystichoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystichoi/pseuds/mystichoi), I see the comments in your bookmarks x3c!  
> And [Origingirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Origingirl/pseuds/Origingirl), for the [lovely analysis comment on Counting Down The Night](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/293537158) (ಥ‿ಥ)! 
> 
> SOMETHING I REALLY WISH I KNEW IS THIS: _WHOMST OF Y'ALLS HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO ME AS A WRITER HERE?!?!?! WHO DO I HAVE TO SHOWER WITH MY LOVE??????????_ Щ-(ಥДಥЩ-)


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